Landowners collaborate to create landscape solutions

Landowners collaborate to create landscape solutions

Example of forest stand improvement efforts. An adjacent
property is just behind the treated area, and gives an idea of what the
original stocking looked like.

Kittitas County, Cle Elum

Three neighbors enrolled in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
to reduce fire hazard and improve forest health conditions. The success of these
efforts are spreading through the community and other landowners are becoming
interested.

NRCS and Washington Farm Forestry Association

Much of the forestland in Kittitas County is plagued with overstocked conditions
and a host of disease and insect outbreaks. To make things more challenging,
many of the private forests in Kittitas County have been subdivided into 20-40
acre parcels. Treating a stocking or pest issue on small parcels is often a
challenge if the land surrounding the property is going untreated. Three
landowners in South Cle Elum had been struggling to find the right management
approach for their forests. They each suffer from overstocked stands that are
plagued with dwarf mistletoe, root rot, and western spruce budworm. All of these
contributing factors have left the properties prone and defenseless to wildfire.
One by one, they contacted NRCS for help and each have been working with EQIP to
solve these issues on a landscape level.

Each landowner enrolled in EQIP to implement forest stand improvement, pruning,
slash treatment, pest management, and restoration of declining habitats. They
have shared equipment, time, experience, knowledge, and sore backs over the last
two years as they make progress on their properties and EQIP contracts. They are
all actively involved members of the Washington Farm Forestry Association and
are true stewards of the land. Together they are treating nearly 100 acres which
has improved wildlife habitat, reduced wildfire hazard, managed diseases and
pests, and created a healthy forest ecosystem.

Each landowner is managing their forests slightly different than the others. One
landowner might be more interested in promoting elk and deer winter habitat,
while another is looking to create more defensible space around their home. By
having multiple objectives, the landowners and NRCS has been able to create a
forest mosaic that is suitable for a variety of wildlife species and increased
forest diversity.

The best compliment a conservationist and land steward could ever ask for is
increased involvement. More and more neighbors are asking questions and wanting
to become involved with treating their forests and are seeking assistance from
NRCS.